SAN ANTONIO - If only this one night, exacting San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich would give his players a break.
With their newest championship banner hanging high above the sellout crowd and the players looking like kids in a candy store as they examined their shiny new championship rings, it was understandably a challenge for the team to buckle down for a regular old basketball game.
The Spurs eventually did, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 106-97 Tuesday night. Andeven Popovich was willing to overlook the occasional lack of concentration.
"I think the ring ceremony is always a little bit emotional and always a lot of fun," Popovich said. "It probably keeps you from being your best as far as focus is concerned."
But losing focus to the point of losing a game is just not the Spurs' style.
"It's always a special game when you play after a ring ceremony," Parker said. "It's great memories. But we're back to work and ready to defend our title."
Aside from the victory and the rings, there was other newsto please Popovich. Star Tim Duncan had reached an agreement to stay until the end of the 2011-2012 season and likely finish his career in Texas.
Duncan had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Spurs got their title defense off to a successful start. Parker added 19 points for the Spurs, and Manu Ginobili had 16 points and eight assists off the bench.
LaMarcus Aldridge led the Trail Blazers with 27 points. Martell Webster added 21, and Joel Przybilla had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Portland.
"We played a very talented team, a very young team. I think they're going to be pretty good," Parker said. "They played a tough game."
Aldridge said he's using the Spurs as motivation.
"I was so pumped and I was so excited because I feel one day we are going to be in that position where we're going to win and get our rings one night," he said. "I felt like tonight was our first step in that direction."
Despite the long-awaited ringceremony to kick things off, the game didn't have quite the excitement that was anticipated when it was announced the Spurs would open against the Trail Blazers, who drafted Greg Oden with the No. 1 overall pick. Oden had microfracture knee surgery this summer, ending his first season before practice even began.
"We were definitely looking forward to having Greg," Webster said. "That doesn't stop our journey. Our journey is to get to the playoffs. ... Can't say anything about championships. Mostly, we want to take this one game at a time."
With Oden out, it only seemedappropriate that this night would be all about the Spurs.
And it was, with the Spurs controlling the game until the Trail Blazers threatened with about two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Aldridge's basket brought the Blazers within three points, the closest they'd been all quarter, with 2:01 left.
Parker made it 100-95 for San Antonio, then a goaltending call against Aldridge gave Parker another basket, putting the Spurs up 102-95 with 1:07 to play.
Brandon Roy, last season's Rookie of the Year, hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 102-96. But another goaltending call, this time against Przybilla, gave Duncan a basket and the Spurs a 104-96 lead with 36 seconds left.
PORTLAND (97) Webster 9-15 0-0 21, Aldridge 12-19 3-3 27, Przybilla 4-5 5-6 13, Jack 2-6 0-0 5, Roy 2-10 2-4 7, Blake 4-7 0-0 9, Outlaw 4-10 3-4 11, Jones 1-1 0-0 2, Rodriguez 1-2 0-0 2, Frye 0-3 0-0 0, Totals 39-78 13-17 97.
SAN ANTONIO (106) Bowen 0-5 0-0 0, Duncan 10-15 4-7 24, Oberto 3-4 0-0 6, Parker 7-14 5-6 19, Finley 4-11 0-0 9, Bonner 4-9 0-0 8, Ginobili 4-11 7-8 16, Washington 1-1 0-2 3, Barry 4-8 1-1 12, Elson 4-9 1-2 9, Mahinmi 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 41-87 18-26 106.
Portland ........................ 26 23 28 20 - 97 San Antonio ................... 29 30 22 25 - 106 3-Point Goals-Portland 6-13 (Webster 3-6, Jack 1-1, Roy 1-2, Blake 1-3, Rodriguez 0-1), San Antonio 6-24 (Barry 3-7, Washington 1-1, Finley 1-5, Ginobili 1-5, Parker 0-1, Bonner 0-2, Bowen 0-3). Fouled Out-Oberto. Rebounds-Portland 40 (Przybilla 10), San Antonio 40 (Duncan 13). Assists-Portland 15 (Roy 6), San Antonio 21 (Ginobili 8). Total Fouls-Portland 19, San Antonio 19. Attendance-19,797 (18,500).
NBA schedule TUESDAY'S GAMES All times Central San Antonio 106, Portland 97 Utah at Golden State, (n) Houston at LA Lakers, (n) TODAY'S GAMES Milwaukee at Orlando, 6 p.m.
Washington at Indiana, 6 p.m.
Philadelphia at Toronto, 6 p.m.
Chicago at New Jersey, 6:30 p.m.
San Antonio at Memphis, 7 p.m.
Dallas at Cleveland, 7 p.m.
Sacramento at New Orleans, 7 p.m. Seattle at Denver, 9:30 p.m.
THURSDAY'S GAMES Detroit at Miami, 7 p.m.
Houston at Utah, 8 p.m.
Phoenix at Seattle, 9:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 21, 23 on 10/31/2007